Elf Yourself

Have you seen these? My sister and husband created this video for us. So hilarious!

All I want for Christmas

The picture above is a good example of the kind of shenanigans 1st Brother has been up to in the last couple of months. Yes, it's kind of funny to pull a face when your Dad is trying to document a nice family Christmas experience at the Oakland temple. Or to teach your baby brother to point to the appropriate body part when you ask him where his nipples are. But when you add constant loudness, goofy voices, songs/quotes that are repeated over and over, and a general lack of listening, you risk driving your parents freaking NUTS!

When we used to ask my mom what she wanted for Christmas, a birthday, etc. she would often reply, "obedient children." Now I understand why, only I would say that obedient and very quiet children are what I want. My husband suggested we get a robot that can follow 1st Brother around and constantly say, "You're being too loud," "Stop it," "No more of that," Listen to me," and "What did I just ask you to do?" During December we could program it to remind him that our family elf, Midgey, is watching (I have decided to downgrade the Mom and Dad gift from a big Lego Star Wars set to a Leapster game and a book).

Overall, I know I'm very blessed. He doesn't seem to go too far with this kind of behavior at school or church. He's learning well, is a good brother and friend, is healthy and energetic, and goes to bed and sleeps like a champ. We've heard from several friends lately who are struggling with serious health and family problems. And a 46-year-old woman in our building died last week. It wasn't unexpected--she was a very unbalanced, miserable person--but all these things have given me perspective. I have a feeling we're in for many more years of goofy boy behavior. With some luck and an extreme amount of patience, I think we can make it through.

Cable car caroling

I'll bet you wish you were part of a womens' church group that rented a (fake) cable car so you could take a night tour of San Francisco while singing Christmas carols to dozens of amused pedestrians! It was tons of fun.

Little artist?

He gets agitated when he sees any sort of writing utensil and won't settle down until he's scribbling away on some paper (or on the table, or himself). Very unlike 1st Brother.

He walks!

Guess who took his first unassisted steps on November 19th at 18 months and 1 week old? Hooray! He went from still mostly scooting to almost exclusively walking in about a week. This video was taken two days after his first steps (he refused to do it again until then). Please excuse my shrill cheering--I've been very excited about this.

The next Arrested Development

This Thanksgiving, I'm grateful for Better Off Ted. It's a hilarious TV show that critics liked but that didn't get many viewers, so it was canceled last year after two seasons (both are on Netflix instant queue right now). Portia de Rossi is the only person I knew from before. The writing is so clever and the characters are great. At times I've thought I like it even more than Arrested Development. Wow, really? I don't know, but it's close. It took about 3 episodes before I was hooked on Ted, but then I wanted to have 10,000 of its babies.

Halloween 2010

I was able to help with Halloween festivities at 1st Brother's school, handing candy out for the parade. He dressed as a ninja/robber at school:

With his best friend the black widow:

Then we hopped a plane to Utah, where we could trick-or-treat on Saturday and in a real neighborhood! He was Iron Man this time around:

2nd Brother was clearly thrilled with his pumpkin costume:

He cheered up after he went out and and got his toothbrush from the pediatric dentist across the street (he's not into candy and we didn't get any for him):

My sister, who is expecting a baby girl in March (I'll finally be an aunt for the first time on my side!), brought along her dog dressed as a turtle:

We spent time with 1st cousins (who went trick-or-treating with us, but I didn't get a good pix):

and a 2nd cousin:

All this plus the painfully beautiful Utah fall colors and smells made for a great Halloween trip.

Creepiest zoo animal ever

I recently found this video of Malayan fruit bats on the Oakland Zoo's website. Watching it fills me with almost as much dread and panic as when I saw them in person a couple years ago. Their bodies are the size of CATS! Imagine one of these swooping down at you--ahhhh! Look at the disturbing way they hobble along with their hook hands and feet! Nice try with the playful music. Happy Halloween.

Kindergarten shiner

Three days before school pictures, I got a call from 1st Brother's teacher saying he was hurt and might need stitches. He was in the office holding an ice pack above his left eye when I arrived, a little shaken but not crying. We circled back to the playground when we left school so he could show me what happened: he apparently was running while looking behind him and smacked into a metal post in the play structure.

We got an appointment at a Kaiser injury clinic (I was so grateful we didn't have to wait in an emergency room for hours!), and my awesome friend Kady came to help. The doctor gave us the option of stitches or glue for the small but gaping cut; we went with glue. 1st Brother was nervous and teary but followed instructions and was soon put back together.

By picture day he had some bruising, mostly on his eyelid like eye shadow. I think the photographer tried to minimize it by sitting him at an angle in the picture above, but he/she didn't need to because I think it's funny and cute. Here's a better view:

He healed up well and now has a small pink scar. It was our first ordeal of this kind, and I feel lucky that it was minor!

Time Suck

Oh Drop 7, why do you tempt me so?! Just looking at that picture makes me want to go waste (another) hour on it.

Lil' Thriller

Hillary alerted me to these--awesome!:

That got me searching around for other American icon costumes for kids. I didn't find many but did come across baby Elvis:

With his constant stick-up hair, 2nd Brother could be Andy Warhol. You know, dress him all in black with the Campbell's soup can or Marilyn picture taped to his chest (note to self for another year):

But he's going to be a sweet little pumpkin instead. And don't worry, I'm not forcing 1st Brother to be MJ. His plan is ninja for school and Iron Man for trick-or-treating.

R.I.P. Tony C.

Tony Curtis dying this week has made me want to watch Some Like It Hot. It's my all-time favorite movie and I don't think you'll be disappointed if you watch it too.

Is this from The Onion?

No, it's from the San Francisco public library's web site:

"Celebrating Fabulous/Activist Bay Area Lesbians with Disabilities: A 40 Year Retrospective

For the past 40 years, San Francisco Bay Area lesbians with disabilities have been at the forefront of political, artistic and cultural change. Despite these significant accomplishments, most of this history has not been documented in any archive and is in danger of being lost. This exhibition will feature photographs, a memorial quilt, archival materials and more that demonstrate the innovative contributions by disabled lesbians in the areas of art, dance, politics, civil rights and access."

That's a pretty specific group of ladies. Who knew they've been up to enough to have their own main library exhibit?

Pumpkin Bar Recipe

I think this is the best pumpkin dessert you can find (my 3rd Sister originally passed it along). In fact, it may be my favorite dessert of all time. You should make it for Fall or make it all year like I do:

-1 box yellow cake mix
-3/4 cup butter
-3 eggs
-1 jar pumpkin butter (available at Trader Joe's or get the Muirhead brand at Williams Sonoma in the fall. About 10 oz. of pumpkin puree might work too?)
-1/8 cup milk
-1 Tbl flour
-1/4 cup sugar
-1 tsp cinnamon

*Preheat oven to 350. Set aside 1 cup of the cake mix. Combine remaining cake mix with 1/2 cup of the butter, melted. Add 1 egg and press into a 9x13 greased pan.

Mix pumpkin butter with 2 eggs and the milk and pour over cake mixture.

Mix the reserved cake mix with the flour, sugar and cinnamon (I like to use a little more flour and sugar). Cut 1/4 cup softened butter into mix with a fork, pastry blender, or clean hands and sprinkle over the top of the cake. Bake for 30-35 minutes.

Geographic snobbery

There was a girl wearing a Utah Jazz shirt at the front desk of the Discovery Museum today when I checked in. I said something like, "Nice shirt--I'm from Utah"; she was too. Another front desk worker piped in with a, "Congratulations to both of you on escaping." For a split second it felt like a compliment (kind of like, "You don't seem like a Mormon." Thanks! Wait, what?), but then I felt irritated. All I could come up with at the moment was, "Oooh no!" (like "oh no you didn't!"). He said something like, "It is really beautiful there," and I agreed and went on my way.

But it was one of those situations I kept stewing about and coming up with things I should have said (I think the winner was,"You must be a lot better than people who live in Utah"). What's the deal with big city people thinking they have something over people in smaller cities and towns, especially those in the middle of the U.S.? I've seen this attitude in varying degrees many times. San Francisco is cool, and that's fine if you don't think you'd like living in Utah/Kansas/Illinois, but don't be a jerk about it, especially if you've never been there. And especially if your audience is two women who have willingly associated themselves with the place you're putting down and haven't said anything negative about it, Discovery Museum Guy.

Just to show I'm not above [affectionately] making fun of where I'm from, here's what Ashlee Simpson would look like if she lived in Vernal:

Pam Anderson if she lived in Kanab:

Sharon Stone if she lived in Bountiful:

and Britney Spears if she lived in Panguitch:

Hee hee! All credit is due to Becky who sent me these pictures among others a few years ago.

Raisels

I thought these looked so weird when 1st Brother asked for them at Safeway, but I'm glad I gave in because they're kind of genius! They taste like sour candy, but the chewy part is a golden raisin instead of dyed corn syrup glop. Not too much better, I know, but interesting idea, and he likes them. The sour peach ones taste very close to peach rings.

Stern Grove

We recently visited Stern Grove at 19th Ave and Sloat on a rare warm, sunny day. Fantastic! It has a Secret Garden-y feel since you're surrounded by busy streets and houses yet in the forest. There is lots to do like:

Play around in the amphitheater (where a summer concert series is held):

Get your picture taken in front of one of San Francisco's only natural lakes:

Stand in front of this strange jack rabbit/man statue:

Climb a tree while a guy plays guitar underneath:

This is also a fabulous place for little ones to ride bikes because of all the flat, paved trails. My husband and I had fun riding 1st Brother's Razor scooter around since he gives up on it after about 2 minutes (should I have purchased the bike with training wheels after all? Sigh.)

I'm an old lady

I cannot get over being able to watch Netflix Instant Queue shows on my iPod Touch! Remember the days of yesteryear (I love that word. President Monson uses it a lot and unintentionally makes me laugh) when you could rent a whole VCR machine to play your VHS selection from the video store? I feel like I'm 31 going on 76.

He's 5!

It's been a big week at our house. It started with a trip to the airport to pick up surprise visitors Nana and Gramps! They were here to celebrate 1st Brother's birthday the next day--he's 5!

He got a Razor scooter and Toy Story 3 video game from us and lots of superhero and spy items from friends and family, including this Iron Man helmet:

We had a small party the next day at a park. The boys decorated paper airplanes, went on a treasure hunt for favor bags (that included poppers, whoopee cushions, water ball yo-yos, shark squirters and candy), and ate pizza and cupcakes.

But the "throw water balloons at the birthday boy's dad" activity was the biggest hit (thanks for being a great sport, darling!). This is just a small sample of what he endured:

Then to top it all off, my big guy started kindergarten! He wasn't nervous despite not knowing anyone and beginning a full day schedule. Walking over:

Waiting to say the pledge of alliegance with the rest of the school to officially start things off (yeah, I'm glad they do that too! You don't always know what to expect with SF). I thought the Iron Man t-shirt would be a nice ice-breaker for him:

Waiting for class to start. There are lots of different races and backgrounds represented in his class--so sweet.

I got a little teary watching him on the rug, but parents stayed at the school for orientation then joined the kids for lunch, so it wasn't as dramatic as the first day might have been. He's done really well this week, and I think it will be a great year.

Graves!

This article from the SF Chronicle is my kind of thing. Wyatt Earp is buried here in a Jewish cemetery?! Charlie Brown music guy Vince Guaraldi is in Colma in the same cemetery as Joe DiMaggio!? My husband said, "Now you have something to do with the boys for the next 3 weeks." I think 1st Brother may actually like visiting. Maybe we'll try one.

Pioneers

I'm always inspired by the people who helped settle the western U.S., especially the Mormon Pioneers, whose entry into the Salt Lake Valley in 1847 is celebrated today. (The link is good stuff. It's a very interesting story whether you're a member of the church or not).

Sometimes I think of them mocking me, especially the women, when I'm grumpy about something. "Oh Jennie, that must be SO hard not to have a dishwasher! And getting the kids ready for church with your husband in meetings, oh my! And you poor thing, living through San Francisco's cold and windy summers year after year!" etc. That can help snap me out of it sometimes.

Two years ago:

Bribe Fulfilled

1st Brother did a great job at the dentist a couple weeks ago with the promise of a play date at a McDonalds with a playground. (Our first attempt at the dentist about a year ago resulted in the loudest, most terrified fit I've ever seen from my guy). Yesterday I paid up, and there was swimming involved too as a bonus! Thanks, East Bay friends!

Sony reader

For our 9th anniversary in May, my husband surprised me with a Sony Reader Pocket Edition. Though flattered by his thoughtfulness, I was torn. I felt like a traitor supporting sterile electronic books that could eventually shut down the libraries and book stores I love. In general I'm a little anti-technology for a person my age, especially for one who was an information systems major in college. I don't have or want a smart phone or a Facebook account, I don't follow anyone on Twitter, and spending lots of time online often makes me feel anxious and grumpy. (And yes, I'm aware of the irony of proclaiming that I'm anti-techology via my blog). Anyway, I've now read 3 books on it, and while I'm still a bit conflicted, I do like it. Here are a few of my thoughts:

Pros:

-Can hold lots of material--many books, magazines, scriptures, etc. It would be great for a long trip or for those who read several books at a time

-I felt like I finished the books faster. Pages are usually broken down into smaller chunks that seem very manageable and easy to read. You can zoom to make the font and pages the size you want

-It's lightweight and physically easier to hold. My husband pointed out it'd be great for nursing moms as you can do everything with one hand

-You can download your book right away and don't have to go out to get it (part of me wants to put this on the Cons list)

-It's easy to use and doesn't hurt your eyes; it was even clear in bright sunlight

Cons:

-Many libraries offer free e-books but the selection is limited (see http://www.overdrive.com/). It will probably get better, but I'm not about to start an e-book-buying habit when I can still check out real books for free

-Another gadget to charge and download stuff to (the battery does stay charged for a really long time though, for weeks at a time)

-It's a bigger deal if you drop it in the bath tub, leave it behind somewhere, etc.

P.S. I belong to a fabulous monthly book club that has its own blog at secretlybookish.blogspot.com if you need recommendations or want to join.

Magic Eraser Indeed

It took some muscle, but my old, never-looks-clean bathtub is much improved after some eraser treatment. I keep wandering into the bathroom to admire it. The eraser also got tar off the laminate flooring of our building's elevator recently. Even though the texture of the dry eraser is disturbing in a nails-on-the-chalkboard kind of way, I bow to it.

He scoots!

Just in time for his 13-month birthday, 2nd Brother has figured out how to move forward! (And after 2 years, I've figured out how to post home video!). It's an unusual way to get around, but we'll take it; I've been a bit worried.

You can also hear what I'm counting as his first word in that video: "ball"

Before Saturday, he was doing a lot of this (not very effective and pretty cuckoo):

Sacramento

I have a thing for Sacramento. I just like the feel of it and every experience there has been a good one, including the one we had for one night over Memorial Day weekend. First up was a trip to Old Town and the Calfornia State Railway Museum, a good time for adults and kids:

I love dioramas of any kind, especially ones with realistic-looking mannequins--hee hee!:

There was a band of mostly old people playing old-timey music in the museum that day; I'm a fool for not taking a picture! There were tons of banjos, a washboard played with an egg beater, and a contraption made of rope attached to a broomstick and anchored to a bucket. I said to my husband, "Is Sacramento trying to make me love it more?" It was the best.

I was very happy it was in the 80s--it's such a treat to be truly warm and not to pack jackets around! Despite the thumbs up, I doubt the guy dressed as a watermelon slice was thrilled about the heat:

We also hit Fairytale Town, a great local playground, and 1st Brother and I toured Leland Stanford's mansion: